Tales of a Wayside Inn

by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

The poems in the collection are told by a group of adults in the tavern of the Wayside Inn in Sudbury, Massachusetts, 20 miles from the poet's home in Cambridge, and a favorite resort for parties from Harvard College. The narrators are friends of the author who, though they were not named, were so plainly characterized as to be easily recognizable. Among those of wider fame are Ole Bull, the violinist, and Thomas William Parsons, the poet and translator of Dante. Each of the three parts has a prelude and a finale, and there are interludes which link together the tales and introduce the narrators. The prelude for the first part begins:
"One Autumn night, in Sudbury town,
Across the meadows bare and brown,
The windows of the wayside inn
Gleamed red with fire-light..."
Longfellow undertook the large-scale project in part to combat grief over the death of his wife Fanny in 1861. He originally intended to call the collection The Sudbury Tales, but was afraid it sounded too similar to Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales and renamed it Tales of a Wayside Inn. Longfellow visited the real-life Wayside Inn in 1862 with his friend and publisher James Thomas Fields. At the time, the inn was called the Red Horse Tavern and had closed after the owner, Lyman Howe, died in 1861. It would not reopen as an inn until 1897. Longfellow referred to it as "a rambling, tumble-down building".
Most of the stories were derived by Longfellow from his wide reading — many of them from the legends of continental Europe, a few from American sources. The best known inclusion is the previously-published poem "Paul Revere's Ride". It also includes "The Saga of King Olaf", a poem which Longfellow started writing as early as 1856, making it the oldest in the collection. While assembling the collection, he originally intended to use a poem called "Galgano", a translation he had made in 1853 from a work by Italian poet Niccolò di Giovanni Fiorentino, as the student's tale; it was replaced with "The Falcon of Ser Federigo", translated from The Decameron. Fields was heavily involved with the preparation of the book, particularly in the selection of individual titles for the poems, as well as for the title of the book itself, and suggestions for rhyming words.
The collection was first published on November 23, 1863, with an initial print run of 15,000 copies. A second series was published in 1870, and a third published in 1872–1873. Though they sold well, the latter two volumes were less popular than the first.

Biography

Genres: Poetry, Classics, Fiction, Short Stories, American, Historical Fiction, 19th Century

242 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1863

About the author

Extremely popular works of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, American poet, in the United States in his lifetime, include The Song of Hiawatha in 1855 and a translation from 1865 to 1867 of Divine Comedy of Dante Alighieri.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow educated. His originally wrote the "Paul Revere's Ride" and "Evangeline." From New England, he first completed work of the fireside.

Bowdoin College graduated Longefellow, who served as a professor, afterward studied in Europe, and later moved at Harvard. After a miscarriage, Mary Potter Longfellow, his first wife, died in 1835. He first collected Voices of the Night (1839) and Ballads and Other Poems (1841).

From teaching, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow retired in 1854 to focus on his writing in the headquarters of of George Washington in Cambridge, Massachusetts, during the Revolutionary War for the remainder.

Dress of Frances Appleton Longfellow, his second wife, caught fire; she then sustained burns and afterward died in 1861. After her death, Longfellow had difficulty writing and focused on from foreign languages.

Longfellow wrote musicality of many known lyrics and often presented stories of mythology and legend. He succeeded most overseas of his day. He imitated European styles and wrote too sentimentally for critics.

Reviews

[Razvan Banciu · Rating 4 out of 5]

This work was published for the first time in 1863, as a collection of poems involving a group of people at the Wayside Inn in Sudbury, Massachusetts each of them telling a story in the form of a poem.
We may consider it as a sort of modern form of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, written some five centuries later. The Wayside Inn is a real-life place, the environment is similar, even the characters are almost the same sort of: the theologist, the poet, the musician, the student, the landlord...

So, if you're curious enough, just look at some verses:

"The hour was late; the fire burned low,
The Landlord's eyes were closed in sleep,
And near the story's end a deep..."

[Doreen Petersen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this book!! It was quite outside my comfort zone but soo well worth reading. I would most definitely recommend this one to all!!

[Marian · Rating 3 out of 5]

The frame story (itself a poem) takes place at a "wayside inn," where travellers of different backgrounds swap legends through poems and song. The pieces range in setting and mood, from medieval times to what would have been Longfellow's modern day. Romance, moral tales, and tragedies make up the main subject matter, with my favorites perhaps being the two ghost stories: "The Mother's Ghost" and "The Ballad of Camilhan."

I really enjoyed some of the poems (including Paul Revere's Ride), while others not as much. Overall, it's a good representation of Longfellow's poetry and the Protestant culture of his day. As an introduction to his work, I'd probably recommend another collection instead, such as The Seaside and the Fireside.

[Joanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

"These are the tales, or new or old,
In idle moments idly told;
Flowers of the field with petals thin,
Lilies that neither toil nor spin,
And tufts of wayside weeds and gorse
Hung in the parlor of the inn
Beneath the sign of the Red Horse."

[Stephanie Ricker · Rating 3 out of 5]

I smuggled this tiny book of Longfellow's poetry (that I found and was saving for just such a time) into my graduation ceremony. It was a very, very long ceremony.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charming and entertaining. Easy to read even if you don't understand all the references, but looking up those references as you go adds to the knowledge and pleasure one can receive from reading this delightful collection. It's also the source for "Paul Revere's Ride" which I never knew was part of a larger work.

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

An unexpected pleasure! It's been forty or fifty years, since I last read Longfellow, the most celebrated American poet of his time now much neglected, and at least two decades since I abandoned the rhymed poetry camp for a freestyle poetry preference, so I did not expect to enjoy my long immersion in "the well-made poem" quite so much. Astonishingly, I did -- very much so.

Perhaps it's long immersion that makes the difference, but the stories are engaging, as well. This miniature cycle of tales in verse owes much to Chaucer's Canterbury Tales and Boccaccio's Decameron. At least one story I recognize from the latter. The narrators are also well-wrought and engaging, and Longfellow's verse is smooth as glass, yet varies in pattern from tale to tale. Often, you can hear them as actual songs, each different from the next. Perhaps that's why the rhyming doesn't pall. I can't guarantee everyone will come away quite charmed as I was, but, if you're a fan of rhymed poetry, Chaucer or Boccaccio, you might give it a try.

[Taneil · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tales of a Wayside Inn is pretty much just a collection of Henry Wadsworth Longfellows' poems, put together in story (or poem, if you want to be technical) format. For the most part I enjoyed it, but for me, the Saga of King Olaf, one of the poems, was a little slow. I couldn't keep up with what was going on.

Anyway, it definately inspired me to read more poetry, although, finding someone else who writes poetry like Longfellow, might be difficult.

[Illiterate · Rating 3 out of 5]

If only Longfellow had Chaucer’s irreverent humor.

[Jim Puskas · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, why in heaven's name, in this year of 2018 am I reading these old-fashioned lyric poems? Romantic nonsense, surely!
Because, beset by daily "newscasts" presenting for our edification (and horror) the latest mutterings of charlatans who pretend to be guardians of our welfare, defenders of (whatever privileged bastion they seek to sweep all of us into) I find myself in need of some respite, some quiet corner of sanity. A place where men gather not to plot the destruction of another man's good name, not to devise new ways to guard against "evil" forces that apparently confront us, not to concoct new lies to validate the lies they told yesterday. No, I wish to join, if only for a little while, a band of honest fellows whose only scheme is to pass the jug, hail the hearty and celebrate the sheer goodness of man whenever it happens to arise. If that goodness be rarely seen, all the more reason to rejoice upon its appearance!
Here there is no deliberate opacity; here the language is as clear and straight as the flight of a Prairie Falcon. Here be music. Here be joy. Thank God for it!

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

As already noted by many Goodreads’ readers, this piece of American literature by Longfellow echoes the 14th C masterpiece, The Canterbury Tales, by Chaucer. The CT consisted of a cross section of 14th C London society telling 2 tales ~ one tale from The Tabard Inn in London to Canterbury Cathedral and one tale on the way back to “pass the time” on their pilgrimage to the site of Archbishop Thomas Becket’s martyrdom.
Longfellow’s work consisted of patrons telling tales to pass the time while staying at The Wayside Inn located in Sudbury Massachusetts....which is still open for business. Some of Chaucer’s and Longfellow’s storytellers have the same occupations. The format is similar also, in that there’s commentary by others in the group when a tale is finished.
The 17,000 lines of Chaucer’s work are written in iambic pentameter....in rhyming couplets. (I know....What the?!) Longfellow’s tales vary in both meter and rhyme scheme throughout the 306 page book.
Clearly, I couldn’t stop myself from comparing these two works as I read Tales of a Wayside Inn. I enjoyed the stories ~ some a lot more than others ~ but, overall it’s a nice visit to New England and the type of people who populated it at that time.

[Mark Fallon · Rating 4 out of 5]

The long poem of the celebrated poet, including a section that begins "Listen my children and you shall hear...."

[Tina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Baby's First Canterbury Tales

[Delanie Dooms · Rating 5 out of 5]

Set in Sudbury, Massachusetts, at a real inn, with characters copied from reality, we see Longfellow attempt a form of poetical structure known for ages: the group of people telling each other stories for entertainment. Here we see an assortment of people--the Landlord, the Jew, the Poet, the Sicilian, the Student, the Theologian, and the Musician. They tell stories according to their wont and knowledge, although at times they diverge from common themes in order to please the others; in general, I would characterize these stories as mostly melancholy, but it might be that this is a bias on my part. I might simply remember the sadder ones more clearly. There are certainly stories herein that are humorous, heroic, cute, happy, and all that.

The Tales were originally published through a series of years, perhaps with the first part being considered the only part for quite a while (they appeared in 1863, 1872, and 1873, respectively, with some poems, like "Paul Revere's Ride", coming before the first edition of this quaint collection). I hesitate to call this a disjointed set of stories--they have a continuity (with core themes, like religion), and, because each character has a personality set within the first prelude, the storytellers do have common themes or thoughts--but, at times, they do appear to be less a cohesive tapestry and more a miscellany. I liked most of the stores, even loved some, but found a few to be dated, or in some other way annoying; for example, although I like most of the Theologians tales, his tale in the third part is rather dull (which the Student duly notes at its conclusion).

I think it is meet to also note that these stories have a trained fascination with the past, and that our narrative speaks upon the past quite frequently, as well.

Some of my favorites are:

"Lady Wentworth" by the Poet:

The story is about a "gypsy" woman marrying a rich man happily and for good, showing the ability for one maligned socially (and also of a lower strata) to raise in the world; and, if not to rise, then to be of equal right, degree being superfluous.

"The Ballad of Carmilhan" by the Musician:

I love ghost ships; it became instantly a favorite of the collection, therefore. It is more-or-less a religious tale about a captain vowing in a blasphemous way that he would down a ghost ship if to meet it. When he and his crew meet it, he goes through the ship, and is annihilated; the only survivor a good, Christian boy. The spirit or creature that the first part details is also interesting.

"The Legend Beautiful" by the Theologian:

Definitely a religious tale about a monk who sees an angel, but, when still the vision is upon him, hears the bell to feed the homeless and poor. Almost not doing it, he goes anyway, and ponders upon the poor and their relation to the Bible, only to return and see the angel still around; the angel tells him that if he had not gone to help the poor, he (the angel) would have vanished.

"The Cobbler of Hagenau" by the Student:

A fun little story that comes at the end of two tales upon the evils of greed. In this one, a woman purchases an indulgence (thus using money to buy happiness in Heaven, haha), and, upon dying, does not have a proper religious funeral because her husband, the Cobbler named in the title, and a man of worldly ways foremost, thinks that the indulgence exempted him (and her) from the trouble of such a thing. The judge that views his case agrees, and all ends happily in laughter.

"The Legend of Rabbi Ben Levi" by the Spanish Jew:

A beautiful story about a Jewish man who confronts the angel of death and takes his sword so that it can do no more harm to humans; however, God tells him to give the sword back, and our friend the Jew does so, therefore, but he importunes this angel that he should go invisible to those he kills, so as to lessen the suffering. And he does.

"The Birds of Killingworth" by the Poet:

A story with some laughter (the evil dude who so thirsts after killing that he lops off flower heads on his way to make judgment on the birds is a keen example of this). In basic, the judges say that all the birds must die for their pains, but one man says that they shouldn't be, gives a long few reasons for why, and is right in the end.

"The Bell of Atri" by the Sicilian:

Purely fun, with a good moral. A horse is put out by a miser who doesn't want to feed him; the horse accidently rings a bell that importunes the King for redress of grievances, which the horse is given by the miser.

"Azrael" by the Spanish Jew:

Another story upon death, in this case an ironic piece in which we learn that, however hard we try, death is unavoidable.

"The Monk of Casal-Maggiore" by the Sicilian:

Another purely comic about a fat Franciscan monk making the fool out of a peasant. He pretends that he is a donkey made human, eats up the house of the peasant, leaves in the morning, and the donkey is thereafter bought by the peasant again, who now and forever is under the illusion that the animal is the Franciscan friar punished for going back to his gluttonous old ways.

"The Mother's Ghost" by the Musician:

A woman dies, leaving children; her husband marries again and both parents do not take care of their children, so God allows the biological mother to come back to earth and scare them into taking care of youths.

As an honorable mention, I think "The Saga of King Olaf" must be put here. It is the chief poem of the first part--indeed, the longest poem in the set altogether--mainly about King Olaf and his challenge to meet fire with fire against Thor (thus using the sword to convert people to Christians, exercising the old religion from the land). His violent ways ultimately lead him to ruin by the hands of a pretty awesome lady (well, the people who follow her will, anyway). The moral about love and an ability to move beyond violence is all that really redeems it for me, because I sided far more with the non-Christians, although the same non-Christians were at time worse than Olaf (like the rapacious Raud). Certainly worth checking out if you have the time.

[Drew Norwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was fun to read. Longfellow brings to life the ideal tavern where different personalities (a musician, a Theologian, a Spanish Jew, a student, a Sicilian, a poet, and the landlord) regale each other with tales from their homelands. The Saga of King Olaf, The Falcon of San Federigo, and King Robert of Sicily were standouts.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not normally big on poetry but I absolutely loved this! Between the eloquent rhyming and the imagery, Longfellow breathed life into each tale and the tellers of those tales. Highly recommended for poetry lovers and novices alike!

[Dwayne Hicks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yes, I get that Longfellow is derivative and popular, not a serious poet, etc. This was 19th century Netflix, sure. But it's a treasure. The prelude, setting the scene of Wayside Inn, is itself a delightful Romantic sequence in which "deep silence reigned, save when a gust / Went rushing down the county road, / And skeletons of leaves, and dust, / A moment quickened by its breath, / Shuddered and danced their dance of death, / And through the ancient oaks o'erhead / Mysterious voices moaned and fled."

Read closely it offers useful examples of religious trends among the influential of the 19th century. Longfellow was a Unitarian and takes shots at confessional (today we would say organized) religion every chance he gets. Calvin and Athanasius both get negative mentions and it's the local science teacher, not the pastor or deacon, who offers humane counsel in "The Birds of Killingworth." Salvation is achieved by living for life qua life, pursuing the good of humanity in general, and seeking accord with nature.

Obviously there's plenty for a confessionalist to disagree with. Ironic that the horrifying scenes of "Torquemada", in which a religious fanatic denounces his own heretic daughters, would in the century after Longfellow become common enough not under the sign of the cross but in the name of Humanity during Stalin's inquisitions.

Anyway, a fun read, ranging from affecting ("The Falcon of Ser Federigo", "Torquemada") to bloodthirsty ("The Saga of King Olaf"). Technically excellent - yes, I realize that makes me a philistine, easily amazed in my ignorance.

I bet it was even better read aloud to the family on a November night in 1863. It's a shame that there is no audience left for this kind of poetry.

[Keith · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the spirit of the Canterbury Tales and Decameron, a group of people at the Wayside Inn in Sudbury, decide to take turns telling stories. The collection is appropriately well known for the famous Paul Revere’s Ride. This jaunting piece is by far the best work of the collection, with a rather interesting and dynamic form that evolves and changes throughout the poem.

The rest are not as good. Ser Federigo was a strange tale which ends up like asking for your neighbor’s pet and they drop of its body at your door. King Robert of Sicily is a pretty average melodrama of a king switching place with a jester. Torquemado is a rather strange tale of a man turning his daughters into the Inquisition for some unnamed heresy. The Birds of Killingworth is a mildly entertaining tale about preserving nature. Rabbi Ben Levi is probably the best of the lot.

A large portion of the book is dedicated the Saga of King Olaf. The use of brief, unconnected stories to outline King Olaf is rather interesting. However, the stories of him converting people from Odin are rather, uh, unusual. (Replace “converting” with “killing.”) This could very well be called The Martyrs of Odin. He certainly “preached the Gospel with his sword.” Of this set, Thangbrand the Priest, a tale of a wayward, unlikeable priest, is my favorite.

Those interested in Longfellow are probably better off with the Library of America’s selected works, or his interesting translation of Dante’s Divine Comedy.

[Mac · Rating 5 out of 5]

After finishing "Evangeline," I looked over a list of Longfellow's works to see what I should read next. The answer was clear! My in-laws have a tradition of going to the Wayside Inn in Sudbury, Massachusetts, for special dinners. I've gotten to go there with them once myself. So there was no question I had to read "Tales of a Wayside Inn," set at that very establishment!

Longfellow uses a similar format to the Canterbury Tales or Decameron. There is a gathering of guests at the Wayside Inn, and each tells a story before retiring for bed. Each tale takes its own form, letting Longfellow try various meters and rhyme schemes. The first tale was none other than "Paul Revere's Ride." Others are set in Italy, Spain, and Norway. Some are very short, while the Saga of King Olaf is in 22 parts. At the end of the book, there are a few short poems that seemed otherwise unrelated to the main part. These didn't grab me as much as the tales.

Next up in my survey of Longfellow is "The Song of Hiawatha."

[Will Browning · Rating 5 out of 5]

A long form poetry book about a group of people talking and sharing stories in the lobby of an inn late at night. That premise serves as a sort of excuse to write a bunch of different smaller poems and stories.

This was the first long form poetry I’ve ever read. I really like Longfellow’s style, specifically how he’ll alternate the rhythm and rhyme scheme to show that the scene or person talking has changed. Surprisingly nuanced characters and stories. I kind of expected them to be simple because I thought it’d be difficult to share the nuance while still maintaining the structure of the poems, but Longfellow accomplishes this wonderfully.

Overall, if you want to try reading a longer form of classic poetry by one of the greats, I think this is a great place to start. Not too long but a great read.

[Jeremy Rios · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful little book of poetry. Longfellow has a knack for rhythm in the English language which is unmatched. The narrative poems of the Wayside were each fun to read, told a good story, and are worth re-reading. Highly recommended.

(Note: I've struggled with poetry before--I can't stand free verse, and I think most modern poetry is rubbish. This book by Longfellow reminded me of why poetry should be fun. Maybe some people will hate it for that reason. They can have the modern poets. I don't want 'em.)

[Sirah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some fellows gather at an inn and take turns telling stories, including those of Paul Revere, a certain terrible Viking, and some rather silly men.

I want to give this book five stars just for the wordplay alone. Longfellow truly is a master of rhythm and rhyme, and this book was refreshing in the way the poetry of it tickled my eardrums and felt right in my mouth. Of course, that would be ignoring all the problematic and outdated elements of this poem, and there are a few of those. Not enough to taint my satisfied feelings toward this book but enough to make me hesitate.

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was nice and easy on the mind and soul (although skipping the Norse stuff on the recommendation of others). It allowed for quiet reflection and a bit of awe in the various stories told. My favorite stanza:

"O little souls! as pure and white And crystalline as rays of light Direct from heaven, their source divine; Refracted through the mist of years, How red my setting sun appears, How lurid looks this soul of mine!"

[Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars.

The rating would have been higher, but the Norse epic poems were absolutely abysmal. I despised all of the characters and it kept going on and on and on...

There are so many lovely poems in here, but the Norse ones really pushed down the rating for me. I suggest reading this, but skipping those.

[Russell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is what I want all poetry to be.

I liked that there were stories about Ghost Ships, the Norse, and the bird story. I did not always fully understand all stories, but I liked the rhyme schemes. The flow to way the words moved was pleasant for me.

I'd like to have studied this in a class to know more about it.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I knew at least some of these poems as a child, particularly the one about Paul Revere! And I lived out near, and then went to college near, the actual Wayside Inn - which you can still go to as of 2025. I had to read this, and enjoyed it, though some of the poems were a bit heavier than I thought they would be. The stories and turns of phrase are wonderful! What can I say? Longfellow!

[Lib DM · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great premise. Characters with different backgrounds and cultures come together over a fire to share tales. So are great (The Saga of King Olaf), and some are light and simple. As a group I give it a 3, but just grab the ones you like and enjoy

[Diane Boley · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a charming little book, with stories told by the fireside in an old New England inn. I enjoyed some tales better than others, but it was a delight to read, with Longfellow’s beautiful rhythmic words that paint such vivid pictures.

[Bruce · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully written. I don't understand why we didn't read more Longfellow when I was in high school!

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Adorable stories from history told in a fascinating prose.